


Danganronpa: Rejuvenation (Chapter 1)

by The_Mediocre_Writer



Series: Danganronpa: Rejuvenation [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Fangan Ronpa - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Original, Danganronpa Rejuvenation, Danganronpa: Rejuvenation, Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2019-10-15 20:10:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17535434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Mediocre_Writer/pseuds/The_Mediocre_Writer
Summary: The sudden announcement of the killing game startles the class, but Tsukiko is determined not to lose hope. With the help of her classmates, she's determined to find a way out. But are they just falling into Monokuma's trap?





	1. A Way Out

After what felt like a century of silence, Tsukiko was the first to break it.

“What… just happened?”

The others quickly followed suit.

“This is impossible…” Yutaka told nobody in particular, his usual serious expression showing a trace of concern. “I though Monokuma was…”

“Dead?” Saori interrupted, unfazed, “Well, guess what? He isn’t anymore, sunshine.”

Hibiki trembled in horror, covering his mask with a hand and looking like he was about the throw up. His voice quivered out, almost inaudibly, “This can’t be happening... This _isn’t_ happening...”

Noriko was mumbling as well, with tinges of anger seeping into her voice.

"If I see that fucking bear again I swear I’ll rip his goddamn head-”

She paused, then shook her head in disapproval.

“No… that’s won’t solve a damn thing…”

Outside of a faint tint of blue lining her face, Misao seemed unfazed.

“Wow, Ichika! That was a great comedy act! It was super realistic!”

“T-This might sound as dumb as always, but that wasn’t an act of mine…”

Yuuna retained the same cheery demeanor as always, but fear was prevalent in her eyes.

“Alright, everyone, please stay calm. I’m sure if we just wait it out, we’ll be-”

“We’ll be _what!?_ ” Asami harshly responded, “Old!? Forgotten!? Isolated from society!?”

In spite of the chaos around him, Haruto wasn’t worried at all.

“I dunno about you, but this sounds like fun! I can see it now! The pink blood runnin' down everyone’s bodies, the anguish and turmoil forever plastered on their face, the excitement of finding the murder weapon...”

“What the fuck, Haruto!?”

“Aww… don’t be so mean, Benji…”

“MY NAME IS BENJIRO, DAMMIT!”

While the others were swept up in their emotions, they failed to notice Nakami meekly trying to speak up.

“P-Please! Let’s all just take a moment and-”

_“ **Everyone, stop!** ”_

Everyone turned to Tsukiko, whose words were still lingering around the room. With all eyes on her, Tsukiko took the opportunity to take charge.

“We can’t just stand here and argue! That’s exactly what Monokuma _wants!_ He wants us to give in! Allow our paranoia to take over and kill someone completely innocent! Well, you know what? I’m not letting some outsider create tension like this! It isn’t… It isn’t _just!_ ”

In the crowd, Hibiki looked restless.

“Oh? What’s wrong Hibiki?”

Now singled out by Tsukiko, he frantically sputtered out “I-I was just thinking… What could we possibly do to stop this?”

“Huh?”  
  
“I-I mean, at any minute, Monokuma could dangle a motive in front of us that causes us to kill. And he’s smart about it! He preys on people's weaknesses just to cause chaos! You know how he used them in the first game, right? If _those_ students couldn't resist him, what makes us any different?”

He looked up, noticing the rest of the class looking as worried as he was. With this sight, his shrank back into himself.  
  
“...I’m sorry I said anything. I-I'm probably just being paranoid...”

“No, I believe you have a point, Hibiki.” Ryou told him, “As soon as Monokuma announces a motive, we will need to be as resilient as possible. But do we all have that within ourselves?”

Silence filled the room.

“...Guys?”

“...Then we’ll just have to do something about Monokuma, won’t we?”  
  
Noriko, suspicious, asked “...Tsukiko, what are you planning?” 

“Well, Monokuma was a robot in the first killing game, right? Then all we need to do is find where he’s being made and destroy it! With no more Monokuma, he has no more power and we’re free to go!”

Benjiro confronted her without any hesitation.

“Are you insane!? We don't even know if Monokuma is even being _made_ here! You know, if your little plan fails, our blood is going to stain the school! God, did you even _read_ the rules!?”

Tsukiko’s heart skipped a beat. She knew she hadn’t read them just yet.  
  
But that wasn’t going to stop her from helping the panicked masses.  
  
“Sure, we can’t fight him _physically,_ ” Tsukiko told the others, her mouth running faster than her head, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t find a _different_ way to rebel!”

“What the fuck are you getting at?”  
  
Tsukiko wasn’t so sure herself.  
  
She just knew she needed to figure it out, because now everyone was staring at her with the same disbelieving look as Benjiro.  
  
“Well…” she remarked slowly, “The rules don’t say anything about looking for an _exit_ , do they?”

Murmurs could be heard throughout the gym.

“Hear me out! If we can break out of here or at least find a secret exit, we can stop Monokuma from the outside! We’ll get the government, the army, anyone we can! Then, we’ll reveal his location and destroy him once and for all!”

Koto pushed his way through the crowd to show Tsukiko what he had just written. She read it aloud for everyone to hear, despite knowing what he was about to say.

>   _An exit? You think some sadistic fucktard like that bear would just allow us to walk out? How stupid do you think he is?_

Frustrated with Koto’s lack of support for her suggestion, she gave the tablet back to him and continued her attempt at optimism.

“I know it’s a stretch, but it’s the only chance we got! If we don’t, then all of us could be dead by tomorrow! ...And I don’t want to imagine that.”

Her face darkened at the thought of the lives of each student, killed because of an act of immorality. The room was equally as morose, imagining the dire situation that Tsukiko had laid out to them. However, soon life began to return back into it, all starting with Nakami.

“I… I agree, ma’am. This may be the only chance we’ll ever get. I’m in. Even if nobody else is.”

“Nonsense! It’s a brilliant idea!” Yuuna added, her face beaming, “I don’t mean to speak on behalf of everyone, but, gosh darn it, I’d rather take my chances looking for a way out than sitting around watching everyone drop like flies! I’m sure at least some of you feel the same…?”

“O-Of course!” Yutaka sputtered out, trying to avoid looking at Yuuna’s lovely gaze, “I’m not going to sit around doing nothing! What’s that going to achieve? _Failure_ , that’s what! Unless you want to waste your life away, I suggest you all man up and do the same!”

“...Sure, why the fuck not?” Benjiro proclaimed. Though his voice remained calm, a faint tint of blue seemed to peak out from just outside his glasses. “The sooner I get away from you loons, the sooner I can get back to my business. And mark my words, all of you are gonna get blacklisted once I’m through with you!”

Soon, a sizable amount of responses, all as interested in the idea as the others, began to pour in.

Noriko chuckled, explaining to a blushing Yutaka “That’s just the type of self-assured response I would expect from someone as thorough as yourself. I may as well give it a try.”

With fire in her eyes, Asami bombastically proclaimed "What are we waiting for? Let’s get going! The longer I stay here, the quicker some no-name broad’s gonna steal my spotlight!”

Even Koto had the closest thing he could muster to a positive response. 

> _Sure. Whatever. But if you fuckers die, it isn’t my problem._

With the overwhelming amount of agreement thrown at her, Tsukiko felt a feeling she never expected to feel again. One she thought Monokuma crushed out of the entire class the moment he entered their lives.

Hope.

Hope for a chance to find a way out. Hope that her classmates would stick by her side.

And hope that she could finally be the hero she wished to become.

So, with newfound courage, she smiled and continued the next step in her sudden game plan.


	2. Four By Four

“Alright you guys,” Tsukiko told the class with newfound giddiness, “If we’re going to go through with this, I’ll need your help. Are their any recommendations on what we can do?”

Nakami hesitated for a moment before his voice rose from the crowd.

“Ur, well, in a case like this, my… My old team and I would split into large groups and scout the area. It might help if we do so here to cover more ground.”

“Good idea!” Tsukiko added with a smile, “Plus, if anyone tries pulling anything funny, we'll have at least three eyewitnesses! Now, Nakami, is there any team you want to be in? I’ll gladly put you in-”

“Hold on, Masayoshi.” Chie interrupted, “What makes you think you’re qualified enough to lead a group like this? Have _you_ memorized building layouts day in and day out?”

“Uh…”

“Wait!” Yutaka blurted out from the crowd, “I’d love to have both of you fine women trying to lead us, but courage and navigation just isn’t enough! We need someone with an eye for detail to pick out the perfect team!”

“Let me guess,” Chie retorted, “Someone like yourself, perhaps?”

"S-Such tender words!" Yutaka replied as tears of joy rolled down his cheeks, "If that's truly what you want, then I'll do my best! It will be a privilege and an honor to be leading the likes of you. I won't let you down!"

Before Chie could interject, Saori interrupted all three of them.

“Hold on. Why should _any_ of you be in charge? How do we know that you aren’t already working with some of the students here? The last thing we need are two or more people teaming up and planning out a murder together.”

“I don’t think they’d go _that_ far just yet,” Noriko added, “but then again, that’s still a possibility. It might be best if we chose at random. That way, nobody has too much influence.”

Raising her hand in the air, Ichika blurted out “Ooh! I have an idea! Benji! You still have that notebook on you, right?”

“Ben _jiro_ . But yeah, of course. What’s it to you?”

“Quick, pass it over! And a pencil, too!”

"Sure." he said with a sly smile. He pulled out his notepad, but instead of passing it along he simply opened it, pulled out the pencil from behind his ear, and looked back at her with a glint of light shining on his glasses.

"But first, I need a few answers from you. _Why did you retire!? What happened to your-_ "

"Oh ho ho! Good one! You almost made me think I was important there! Man, with jokes like those, I'm sure your old writing team is missing you right now!"

With his employees mentioned, Benjiro tensed up.

"...Ugh, fine. Here. Maybe you can use it to write down my actual fucking name."

He chucked the notepad and pencil to Ichika, who smiled through her own shaken nerves. Catching both, she flipped it open and began to write vigorously on it. Once she was done, she ripped the papers into sixteen different strips, took off her hat, and threw the papers inside.

“Ooh!” Misao cried out, “Good idea!”

“Thanks! It’s the one time I’ve ever came up with anything useful!”

Ichika reached into her hat, grabbing four different slips.

“Okay everyone! Our first team iiiiis… Hibiki… Nakami… Tsukiko…”

Confidence seeped back into Tsukiko. Maybe she would have a chance to lead after-

“And Chie!”

Her heart dropped.

“Good,” Chie stated, “Now listen up. If I’m going to lead you three, I need your utmost collaboration. Okamura, I need you to keep your eyes open. A surgeon like you should have a great eye for detail.”

Recoiling in horror at the mention of his talent, he nervously responded “Shhhhh! P-Please don't say that so loud!”

As he looked nervously around the room for any traces of cameras, Chie sighed.

“Okamura, you can't live your whole life in fear like this.”

Her face then lit up with a small, yet genuine smile.

“In fact, be proud. You’ve saved so many lives with your talent. So stop moping.”

“...I’ll try, miss.”

Chie’s smile disappeared just as fast as it appeared.

“Good. Also, keep yourself alive. If we find your pulverized remains on the floor, then we're all as good as dead.”

“D-DON'T GIVE THEM ANY IDEAS!”

“Ito,” she continued, “your talent suggests your detective skills are second-to-none. I need you to look for any clues. Maybe Monokuma hid an exit right under our noses.”

“I won’t let you down, ma’am!” he proclaimed, saluting with a gleam in his eye.

“Masayoshi! We need you to motivate the team! A will as strong as yours is bound to increase morale!”

Tsukiko froze.

Was she really going to let this opportunity slip by her? She was so close to helping those in need, and Chie was the only thing in her way. However, it was clear she wasn't going to budge.

Maybe she could speak up and try and wrestle control away. Or maybe she could break off from the team and start a new one, working alongside those who would favor her actions.

But what good that would that do? She would just be butting heads with the people she wanted to help most. And the class was tense enough as is.

Maybe, just this once, she could take the sidelines. Besides, she had a whole search to help make a difference.

“You can count on me!”

“Good to hear it!” Ichika interjected, “Now, ladies and gents, let’s move on to our neeeext group!”

Before she could go any farther, Koto quickly swiped her hat.

> _No you don’t. If I have to listen to you ramble on again, I’m gonna kill myself._

“Oh ho ho! So mean, yet so true!”

Observing the crowd, he slid the hat straight towards Noboru, who was leaning next to a bulletin board filled with posters.

> _You. Instead of sulking in the corner, how about you make yourself useful?_

“Say that again and I’ll claw your throat out.”

Though Koto still kept his manufactured smile plastered on his face, traces of sweat roll down the sides of it.

> _Fine then. I’ll do it myself._

Pulling out four slips, he glanced at them carefully before spelling out each name in big, bold letters on his device.

> _RYOU ISHIYAMA_
> 
> _ICHIKA KOBAYASHI_
> 
> _NORIKO MIYARA_
> 
> _KOTO MIKAMI_

“YES!” Ryou cried out, raising his hands up in the air in triumph.

Regaining his composure and turning to his fellow teammates, he calmly stated “As we embark on a quest as spiritually draining as this one, I implore you all to accept me as your sage. With me at the helm, I promise to lead you all through this daunting time and discover a way to shape our own destiny.”

Silence filled the group.

> _I’ll pass._

“WHAT!? I-I mean, what unease do you feel in light of this situation?”

> _None. You just annoy me._

Ryou slumped down in defeat. Quietly, Noriko placed a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s alright, Ryou. Just see this as a learning experience. By facing rejection, it can inspire you to cope with your negative emotions and use them to grow further as a leader.”

The three looked at her, shocked by how eloquent the thug in front of them sounded. Noticing this, Noriko blushed and shyly drew her hand away.

“...Say,” Ichika said, breaking the awkward silence, “Noriko, how would you feel as a group leader instead?”

“WHAT!?”

Trying to ignore Ryou’s outburst, Noriko hung her head in shame and stated “I... really shouldn’t be trusted to lead an entire team. What about you two?”

“You kidding? I couldn’t find my way out of a broom closet, let alone a place like this!”

> _Me? Don’t even joke about that. I’d rather rip out my spleen than be in charge of a bunch of paranoid lunatics._

Forcing his way into the conversation, Ryou shot back with “T-Then if nobody’s up for it, I should lead! With me as your guide, I’ll lead you all to a future full of peace and-”

> _Glad to see there’s no arguments._

“H-Hey!”

Noriko glared at Koto, but composed herself and said "Well, if you're really against him being in charge, I'll try my best to take his place. But I assure you this is a terrible decision."  
  
The others seemed content. That is, except for Ryou, who crossed his arms while dejectly muttering “Sure, that’s fine…”

> _Good. Then I can finally get rid of this stupid thing._

Without a second thought, Koto flung the hat into the crowd, landing in front of Haruto. Grabbing it, he saw the anticipation in his audience’s eyes and beamed.

“Gather round, everyone!” he shouted to the high heavens, “For these next few slips will forge together four of the most powerful being to ever exist! Only through combining their legendary powers will it allow them to reshape their destiny and see the light of day again! The characters of this piece will beeee…”

He pulled out a slip.

“The beautiful siren, who's mysterious eyes have the ability to turn those who stare longingly into them into crystal!”

He pulled out a second slip.

“The black-haired angel, who watches over the world with pity and wraps those suffering in the comfort of her wings!”

He pulled out a third slip.

“The blue-eyed speed demon, who's constant movements allow her to warp through space and time itself!”

He pulled out one last strip.

“And Benji!”

“FOR FUCK SAKE!”

As Benjiro blew a gasket, Noriko said “Well, that’s one person cleared up, but what about the other three?”

“From what I can piece together,” Nakami stated, “it sounds like Haruto's talking about Asami, Yuuna, and Misao…”

 "Bingo, mister! You're a grade-A detective!"

"I-I-"

“Now listen up!” Asami interrupted, commanded her newly-formed team, “I’m taking center stage and if anyone disagrees, they can shape up, shut up, and sit the fuck down. You read me?”

Yuuna piped up, adding “It would be a remarkable experience working under you, Miss Oshiro! I’m a huge fan! With your… _determination_ , you’d make an amazing leader!”

Asami eyed up Yuuna. Although her makeup was applied nicely, her face would look somewhat unwomanly if it was removed. Additionally, her clothes were much too modest, making her look more like a librarian than anything to do with hostessing.  

“Oh ho ho! Stop it, you! You’re making me blush!”

“I love your show too!” Misao added, “Maybe someday, I can be just as pretty as you! Maybe even more so!”

Asami eyed her up as well. Her silky pink hair framed her face beautifully, curving down from her head and into perfect tufts. The pink shirt and blue skirt she wore highlighted all the right curves. And her face, although light on makeup, made up for it through her naturally rosy cheeks and her long, dark eyelashes.

“...Who are you?”

“Hold it!" Benjiro cried out, "What chance does a tailor have finding a way out of here? Last time I checked, looking at clothing material isn’t nearly as helpful as hunting for the latest scoop!”  
  
“I’m a _seamstress_ , you peon! Besides, what’s some journalist going to-”

Asami paused. She smiled, stars shining in her eyes.

“...You’re absolutely right, darling. Someone as smart, bold and… _striking_ as you are would be running circles around me.”

“W-What? S-Stop it! Aren’t you at least going to put up a fight!?”

“Nonsense, sweetie.” she crooned, playing with her hair seductively, “If you really want me to make a fuss, though, then you should at least ask a bit about ourselves. I’m sure it would look dazzling on the front page of the news…”

“G-Get lost!”

While Benjiro tried wrestling away from Asami, Misao looked at the duo, awestruck.

“Wow! I can’t believe I’m seeing a power couple forming right in front of my eyes! This place is awesome!”

Yuuna, meanwhile, simply chuckled and told the others "Well, I guess we have our leader now! Why don't the rest of you move on to the final group?"

“Well,” Nakami told everyone, “I guess that leaves Saori, Haruto, Yutaka, and Noboru.”

“Yaaaaaay!” Haruto cheered, “I get to work with the criminal lady! What was it like killing all those people, miss?”

“Haruto!” Yutaka shot back. He turned to Saori, who watched him with impatience. Although his voice stayed firm and serious, it was trembling as he talked.

“A-Anyways, it would be an honor to have you lead our team, Saori. If you ever need me to assist you, just let me know.”

Saori slowly eyed up each of her teammates, one at a time. Finally, she spoke.

“So I ended up with a toddler, a dance teacher and an untrained animal. Right. If I can get any use out of you three, it’s gonna be a miracle.”

She then turned around, leisurely making her way toward the door.  
  
“If I’m doing this at all, it’s on my own. Between dealing with the bear and spending time with a bunch of potential killers, I’ll take my chances with the bear, thank you very much.”

“Nooo, come back!” Haruto cried out, “Without you, I’ll never be able to become a proper mass murderer!”  
  
“W-What are you saying, Haruto!?”  
  
Suddenly, a third voice rose from her group.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

With her attention properly grabbed, Saori turned around to see Noboru glaring at her, his arms crossed. 

“You’re awfully talkative now. Why do you care so much about my well-being when you were throwing shards of glass at me minutes ago?”

“I don’t,” he stated bluntly. “If I’m stuck like this, so should you.”

She paused, then drew a smug smile.

“Well, that’s the difference between you and me. You’re a helpless animal, herded along by what your captors tell you. I, on the other hand, have the cognition to do things on my own. Now, ta-ta.”

Saori didn’t have time to move another step before Noboru slammed her to the floor, pinning her by the neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I may of gotten a bit carried away with the character banter this chapter, but holy hell is it fun to write. Nonetheless, the next chapter will hopefully be a bit shorter.


	3. The Killer In The Crowd

Noboru loomed over Saori, his body pressed over hers. With a single claw-like hand, he dug his nails into Saori’s neck, drawing small drops of blood with every breath he stole from her. However, in spite of his violent action, his face remained as calm as ever. He looked almost aloof, like Saori was just another animal he fed off the blood of.

Saori, meanwhile, played the role of the helpless prey quite well. She was barely struggling at this point, with the most signs of life from her being her shuffling through her jacket pocket. Her face, however, was a much different story. Holding onto what little life she seemed to have left, Saori’s expressions rotated from torment, anger, and even slight impressiveness. 

Watching the horrific display in front of them, the already-tense class was now driven to panic.

“N-Noboru, please stop it!” Yuuna cried out, her voice trying and failing to sound calm, “If you keep doing this, you’re as good as dead as the person your strangling! You don’t want that, do you!?”

“Do you really think doing this is going to help anyone?” Noriko responded, her face twisting in worried anger, “The only person benefiting is Monokuma, Noboru. You’re giving that fucking bear what he wants!

“D-Don’t listen to her!” Ryou cried out, trying to retain his peaceful disposition, “Now, Noboru, I know you and Saori have your… differences, but stop! We can sort them out in more peaceful means! Just let her go and we’ll find a way! Please!”

“For fuck sake,” Asami proclaimed, “are we all just going to sit here like dying cattle while some fashion victim gets her life clawed away from her!? We need to pry this idiot away with brute force!”

With a smile and a gleam in her eye, Misao said “Say no more!”

“Hold on, you two.” Nakami told them softly, “I think we should think this-”

But before he could finish his sentence, Misao was already zipping towards Noboru and ignoring every word out of the police officer’s mouth.

“Never fear, Saori! Kawarino the Unbreakable is here to-”

_Slash_

Noboru’s free hand clawed through the lower half of her torso. Her shirt ripped from the force, slashing from her stomach to just below her breasts. The class could do nothing but watch in terror as Misao staggered back in shock. Even Noboru himself seemed surprised, lingering on the moment before turning back to Saori.

“MISAO!” Hibiki cried out, rushing to her side. As he crowded around her and checked her wound, Koto looked back at Asami, writing his next message with a smile that looked more forced than usual.

> _What do you say, Asami? Do you want to give it a try?_

“I… Um…”

She looked around the room frantically, locking eyes with Nakami.

“H-Hey, you there! With the ugly face! You’re a police officer, right? Then you should of dealt with this type of shit all the time!

“I...:”

“She’s right!” Yutaka replied, “Now, Nakami, what do you think is the best course of action? Should we go in guns blazing? Can you pull out a set of handcuffs and force Noboru’s hands away?”

“ _I… I don’t_ -”

“Whatever you do, do it soon!” Ichika cried, “You’re Saori’s only hope!”

However, as his classmates encouraged him more and more, the only thing he could do is stand in place, looking at the violent scene in front of him like a deer in the headlights.

The sound of panic slowly warped around Tsukiko. Noboru was slowly draining the life out of her classmate and the only thing people were doing about it was getting injured or putting the burden on an ex-cop.

She was the only one left. The only one brave enough to take a stand. Even if it got her killed, she needed to do _something_. If she didn’t, two people would be dead just minutes into Monokuma’s twisted game.

So, she did the first thing that came to mind.  
  
She pulled out a revolver, cocked the handle, and pointed it straight at Noboru’s head.

The class went silent, focusing their attention on sleek metal gun she was seconds away from firing. Noboru took notice most of all, his face growing pale.

She saw the worry in everyone’s faces and felt guilt rise inside her. But she couldn’t let it deter her. If it saved a life or two, she could live with giving the others a little scare.

She and she alone spoke.

“I… I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to hurt any of you. You’re all normal people like me, just trying to get by. Trying not to end up in a situation like… like the one Monokuma put us in. But if you continue to lay a hand on her, then…”

She paused, almost choking on her words once they were able to come out.

“Then I’m not letting you get away unharmed!”

Tsukiko braced herself, ready for Noboru to break through his shock and lunge at her, cutting her open just like Misao was.

However, all he did was stare at her with the same catatonic expression as the other students had moments prior.

Slowly, his grip began to loosen around Saori’s neck.

The color returned to Saori’s face almost immediately. Sitting up, she began to take long breaths while attempting to clean up the dried blood on her neck.

Then she laughed.

“What... What do you find so funny?” Noboru asked. Though his face was still scowling, his face was flushed and his words were shaky.

“That all of you assumed I would die so easily.”  
  
With a smug smirk, she dug through the left pocket of her jacket, pulling out a glass shard.

Without warning, she sliced into his arm.

Noboru’s eyes grew wide and he let out a small yelp as he let go of his grip.

“ _That’s_ for being stupid enough to try and kill someone the first chance you got.”

Saori then turned to the others, who looked nervously back.

“Honestly, I should do the same for all of you. All you can manage to do when someone’s dying is go into a blind panic? Jesus, I’ve seen castration victims with more balls than you. Looks like I was right, you guys really would flunk my test after all…”

“Test? What test?” Tsukiko asked.  
  
“To see how you’d react to violence, of course. Do you really think I’d let some feral creature end my life that easily?”

“A-A test?” Asami sputtered out, “Stop bullshitting us! You wouldn’t go through that much pain just for a fucking test!”  
  
“Why not? I’ve been through worse. Besides, as long as I can teach this class a lesson in bravery, it’s all worth it.”

“Well, what about Noboru?” Ichika asked, “You couldn’t be testing him for the same thing as us, right?”  
  
“No, of course not. I was looking for something else. I just wanted to see how far he would go. And it’s just as I thought: he can’t be trusted. He’s still a wild animal needing supervision.”

Noboru glared at her, his face going beet red. Although he seemed to want to tell her something, he just stayed quiet.

Saori, meanwhile, glared right back.

“You have some guts, kid. You really do. But you better stay domesticated under my orders. If not, there’s a lot more you need to deal with than just shards of broken glass.”

The most Noboru could react with was a small nod. Eventually, he sank back into the crowd entirely, with Saori watching and trailing closely behind. 

Tsukiko tried his best to avoid acknowledging the nervous faces of the rest of the class, beginning one last rally before the others went off to escape the grim situation they were presented with.  
  
“Alright then, there’s no time to lose! Every second is one the mastermind has already stolen from us! Let’s cover as much ground as possible and try to get out of this place as soon as we can!”


	4. The Search Is On

With hope instilled into everyone’s hearts, the teams went their separate ways. Saori stayed behind in the gym, beginning to order around her three teammates even before everyone else left. Benjiro went to the dorm rooms while Misao and Yuuna kept Asami distracted through praise. Finally, Noriko uncomfortably pointed her team to the storage room, with Ryou moping every step behind her.

The only things left were Tsukiko, her team, and the hallway in front them.

“Listen,” Chie explained to the trio as soon as they entered, “there’s a lot of ground we need to cover. First, we need to check if the normal exits and escape routes can still be accessed. If we can find one that’s possible to pry open, then that’s our best chance of leaving.”

“And if we c-can’t do that?” Hibiki quietly responded.

“Then we’ll need to look for hidden exits. It’s possible there’s switches or loose floorboards just out of our eyesight. However, we shouldn’t do this unless necessary. There’s a high risk of breaking one of the rules if we aren’t careful.”

At the mention at the rules everyone else seemed informed about but her, Tsukiko’s heart skipped a beat.

But she wasn’t planning on revealing her obliviousness anytime soon.

“How about we do both at once?” Tsukiko asked, continuing to blindly string the others along with her lack of knowledge. “If we keep the doors open to the rooms we’re searching, then we cover more ground _and_ can see when someone’s made progress!”

After her suggestion, Chie looked at her with a strange glare, causing Tsukiko to tense up. It was hard to tell if she had seen she was blind to the rules or if this was a standard look from her.

“Good idea, Masayoshi. But we’ll need to communicate when one group is finished searching their area so each of us can move along. I want all of us in each other’s line of sight at all times.”

Tsukiko smiled. It looked like she was still in the clear.

Nakami steered the conversation in a different direction, asking “In that case, who should do what task? You did say the investigation would be the harder part.”

Quickly, Hibiki raised his hand.

“M-Miss, let me do it. The rest of you can-”

“No, Okamura.” Chie declared, thrusting out a hand like a stop sign, ready to halt Hibiki from doing anything else. Once he did, she slowly and calmly continued speaking.

“You have the most important role of all: keeping us safe. If any of us gets injured, we need you around at all costs. If you do something as dangerous as this, one wrong move means we haven’t just lost one life, but potentially dozens as well.”

“B-But…” he began to say before panic seeped into his voice, “I-I can’t be trusted with everyone else’s life! I’ll mess up! I know I will! People will _die_ because of me!”

Chie placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Breathe.”

A bit taken aback, he did. As he inhaled and exhaled, his panic became smaller and smaller. Once he was finished, Chie weakly smiled.

“Please just do this. For all of us.”

He paused, then did a small, unsure nod.

“Thank you. You’re a blessing to us all, Okamura.”

“I’ll t-take your word for it…”

“In that case,” Tsukiko interrupted, “how about I take his place?”

“Go right ahead, Masayoshi. You’re expendable enough.”

“Uh… thanks?”

“You’re welcome. Now, Ito-”

“ _I’ll go with Tsukiko!_ ”

The four became silent at Nakami’s outburst. His face burned up as he stammered out “I-I mean, my… my past might help us investigate a bit better. A-And besides, it’s probably difficult for one person to do such as a dangerous task alone…”

“Fine. But you better not act this strange when investigating. Understand?”

Sweating bullets, Nakami stated “R-Right! Of course! Anything you say!”

“Very well then. Let’s get searching.”

As Chie and Hibiki began their mission to try and find an openable exit, Tsukiko and Nakami entered the room closest to them, which just so happened to be the storage room.

Whist inside, the size of it immediately reared its ugly head. It wasn’t meant to fit more than one person at a time, and Nakami’s muscular frame really wasn’t helping the area feel any less cramped. Still, Tsukiko was grateful that it wouldn’t take long to investigate the area.

The contents of the room were immediately made noticeable. Alongside the various chests and boxes Tsukiko noticed on her first visit to the area, she finally got a good look at what was on the rack at the end of the room: weapons as far as the eyes could see. There were guns that rivaled her own. Enough bullets to fit into any model of gun, no matter how obscure. Steel hammers that could bash people’s brains in. And so much more.

While she rummaged through the shelf, Nakami had made his way over to a pile of boxes leaning against the corner of the wall. Each were completely blank and taped shut, their contents unknown to either of them.

“Er, Tsukiko? If you can, would you mind passing me a box cutter? Maybe there’s something in here that could help us…”

“Yeah, sure!”

Tsukiko began rummaging through the piles of weapons. However she found nothing. A bit annoyed, she decided to look for knives instead. Still, there was nothing. Finally, she decided to look for anything sharp enough to cut through the boxes. But still, she drew a blank.

“Bad news. I don’t think there’s anything sharp in here. Like, at _all_.”

“Really? That’s odd… But, uh, thanks for your help anyways! I’ll just move them aside for now…”

As Nakami took the time to move the boxes, Tsukiko looked around the room. Immediately, she noticed a black-and-white security monitor staring her down through its lens, silently focusing in on her. A bit nervously, she focused on something else.

In the middle of the wall behind her, Tsukiko saw a medium-sized monitor barely sticking out of it. It’s sleek black screen seemed to lay dormant, waiting for the day it could finally turn on. She prayed it never did.

The mere presence of these two objects were enough to make her uneasy. It was a reminder of what they now were: rats in a cage, being led on by an unseen force for their own sick amusement. Innocent creatures taken away from their home, residing in an artificial landscape to spend the rest of their short lives.

Anger rose within her. She swore if she ever found out who was responsible for the suffering of so many of her classmates, she would grab her gun and-

“...Excuse me, ma’am?”

Tsukiko snapped out of her thoughts, noticing how her hands were slowly reaching for her holster. She pulled her hand back to her side and tried to play it cool, hoping he wouldn’t scold her for doing something she wasn’t supposed to.

“Oh, hey Nakami! Need something?”

“It's just that I… uh… finished the assignment you gave me!”

She looks confused, so he pulls out his device and turned it on. After clicking on one of the apps, he showed her the profiles of each person in her class, as well as personal notes he made about them.

“See? I did just as you requested back in the classroom!”

“Oh.. Oh yeah, you did do that, didn't you?” she responded, slowly remembering what she had asked of him.

Once she was done looking through the profiles, Tsukiko curiously tried clicking her own name. However, Nakami took his device back as soon as she tried making a move, looking flustered as he did so.

It didn’t take long for him to regain his composure, though. With a gleam in his eye and a wide smile, he told her “Not only did I do your request, but other people asked me to help as well! I helped Yuuna cook food for the class! And Haruto wanted inspiration for a story!”

Without thinking, Tsukiko asked the one question she knew she shouldn’t have.

“So, is this how you felt as a police officer?”

Just as Tsukiko realized what she had just done, Nakami had gone from confidently standing upright to slouching, as if those few words had defeated him. The sheen in his eyes was now gone, replaced with a look of remorse.

Yet he kept smiling.

“...Absolutely.” he told her, his eyes lowered to his device and avoiding her gaze. “But that’s in the past now. Besides, I’m sure the force is doing just fine without me.”

“Hey! Don’t say that!” Tsukiko responded, less out of genuine sympathy for him and more from feeling responsible for his drastic mood change.

“It’s true, though.” he stated, his voice beginning to grow shaky behind his forced smile. “Don’t you remember what happened with Saori? I stood there. _Stood there._ If I did that in on the field, I’d be out in an instant. I’m a coward. I know I am. That’s all I’ve ever been my entire life. And today’s been no different.”

He then locked eyes with Tsukiko, with the enthusiasm he lost moments prior returning back into his smile.

“But you aren’t. You’re so much more… hopeful. You went out there and tried to help everyone, regardless of danger, all because you wanted to keep everyone safe. You’d make a much better Ultimate Police Officer than I could ever be.”

Suddenly, his eyes lit up once again and a large smile crept across his face.

“In fact, why _don’t_ you!?”

“ _What!?_ ”

“You said it yourself back in the classroom! You want to help others, right? Then take my talent! With you as the Ultimate Police Officer, so many people can be protected! Your already skilled with a gun, so criminals will be falling to your feet in no time! You’ve got the strive, the courage, the… the _virtue_ that I don’t have! What do you say?”

He stood there, anticipating an answer. After a few seconds of stunned silence, Tsukiko could barely mutter out her thoughts on the matter.

“I… I don’t…”

His smile became lost again as he backed off. Seeing this, Tsukiko tried redeeming herself yet again.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t take that from you. This is your opportunity, not mine. Even if you’re not being a cop anymore, at least use the experience to help others.” With a laugh, she added “Besides, all I need is a gun to help others!”

Glancing at the wall behind him, she suddenly got an idea.

“For example-”

Rapidly, she pulled out a gun from her holster. Nakami was a bit startled but Tsukiko understood. It was a weapon used to ruin lives. He just hadn’t seen _her_ use it before.

“I have some buckshot we can try out!” she insisted, loading her gun with bright pink bullets from her holster. “With enough fire power we’ll be able to carve a hole so big we can all walk out of here!”

“Tsukiko! D-Don’t-”

“It’s alright, Nakami! It’ll be a bit messy but I promise you won’t get hurt! After all, I’m not called the Ultimate Sharpshooter for nothing!”

She pointed her gun towards the door. Eyeing up its weak points, she began to wrap her finger around the trigger.

“Stand back! This is gonna be-”

Before she could finish, Tsukiko felt a hand grab her arm, causing her gun to drop out of her hands and crashing to the floor.

She looked up to see Nakami’s fearful face staring back.

“W-What are you doing? You’ll get us killed!”

Tsukiko looks down at her gun, confused how her use of it to help other could ever be considered harmful.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you-”

It seemed like he was about to continue to yell fearfully, but suddenly a look of realization washed over his face.

“...Ma’am, you’ve read the rules, right?”

Tsukiko bit her lip.

Nakami sighed, but kindly pulled out his device. Pressing some buttons on it, he finally showed it to Tsukiko.

“Here. It’s probably best to see what you’re getting yourself into.”

Tsukiko followed his advice, looking down at the lines of text in front of her.

> REGULATIONS  
>    
> Rule #1: When a murder is committed in the academy, a class trial will be conducted. Participation in this trial is mandatory for all surviving students.
> 
> Rule #2: Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered.
> 
> Rule #3: If the guilty party is exposed during the class trial, they alone will be executed. However, if the guilty party is not exposed, they alone will graduate, and all remaining students will be executed.
> 
> Rule #4: Violence against headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited.
> 
> Rule #5: Destruction of property is prohibited.
> 
> Rule #6: A body discovery announcement will occur when three or more students discover a body, the culprit not included.
> 
> Rule #7: "Nighttime" is from 10pm to 7am. Some areas, such as the gym, are off-limits at night, so please exercise caution.
> 
> Rule #8: Monokuma will never directly participate in a murder.
> 
> Rule #9: Students have free rein to explore as they see fit.
> 
> Rule #10: Additional school regulations may be added if necessary.  
> 

“See?” Nakami said once she finished looking at the tablet. “Rule five says you can’t destroy property, so firing bullets at the school is out of the question.” With a nervous chuckle, he tacked on “However, I’m sure it was just a simple misunderstanding...”

“R-Right. My bad...” Gesturing to the gun on the floor, she awkwardly smiled and exclaimed “But at least you're brave enough to stop me!”

He blushed, about to respond before-

“MASAYOSHI!”

Tsukiko’s face flushed as soon as she heard Chie’s voice. She just remembered she left the door open. Both Hibiki and Chie would of saw her reckless behavior as well. And while Hibiki might of just been startled, she knew Chie wouldn’t be putting up with her anytime soon.

Cringing, she turned to the doorway and was ready to face the music.

Instead, she was greeted by a familiar face smiling at her from the doorway.

“Get out here!” Chie called out, “Misao wants to tell you something.”

The two stepped back into the hallway and were immediately greeted by the daredevil herself. Although her shirt was still ripped from Noboru’s attack, it didn’t seem to faze her at all as she bounced up and down eagerly.

“Guys! Guys! I have some really good news!”

“Misao,” Nakami urged, pointing at her torso, “you really should be sitting still. Your injury-”

“Oh, that? That didn’t even leave a scratch! Besides, who cares about a little injury when there’s an exit to look at?”

“Oh?” Tsukiko responded. “That’s good to-”

She stopped.

“ _WHAT!?_ ”

“W-Where is it, miss!?” Nakami asked desperately.  

“In the gym! Saori told me to tell you to tell everyone else-”

“Then there’s no time for talking!” Tsukiko proclaimed. “Let’s get out of here!”  
  
So, as Misao merrily skipped along while the others tried to keep up, they set out for the gym and the freedom that was almost in reach.   



	5. The Case Of The Hidden Exit

Misao burst open the gym door while the group of four stood back. Inside the gym, the rest of the class were all over the room, chatting with each other enthusiastically. It was a far cry from the fearful silence and panic they had experienced there so little time ago.

The five stepped inside to join the commotion. As they walked, taking in the lively conversations, merry laughter and even so much as the smallest smile, their worries swept away.

Misao caught sight of Asami, who was clutching Benjiro’s hip and shoulder, gazing passionately  into the lens of his glasses. He, however, looked like he was trying to break out of her grip.

Without a word, Misao cheerily ran off, leaving the four to their own devices.

“Asami! Asaaaaaami!” she called out as she drew closer. “Since I told you about the exit, can you break up with Benji?”

“ _SHE’S NOT DATING ME! STOP IT!_ ”

With a snarky yet cynical tone, Asami looked at the daredevil flatly and responded “Subtle, Misao. But it depends. Would you ever provide me with the same sensual and untamed romance as he does?”

Benjiro could only let out a string of angry rants.

“Well, they don’t call me “Kawarino The Unbreakable” for nothing! C’mere, I have at least sixty-nine cool tricks I can show you~!”

“Heh. That’s great, honey, but before we become an item I have a few little requests… Will you rip out your _gorgeous_ hair for me!? Pull out a couple of your _pearly white_ teeth, perhaps!?”

“Anything for you, my dear!”

Misao began to tug on a lock of hair sticking out from her helmet. However, Yuuna grabbed her hand before she could continue.

“This calls for a celebration! As soon as we all leave, how about you all come over to my workplace? I’m sure the estate wouldn’t mind fifteen new faces!”

“Waaait a minute,” Ichika stated, “didn’t you say you worked at a-”

“That’s right! An _estate_ !” Yuuna interrupted, the large smile on her face masking her shaky voice. “It would be a great place to practice your comedy routine, Ichika! _Don’t you think so_?”

“Hah! Are you _trying_ to get the place shut down?”

Beside her, Noriko was rapidly going through her package of cigarettes, burning through one after another with a distraught expression.

Catching sight of this, Ichika asked “...You okay, Noriko?”

Through her own trembling, Noriko responded “I’m fine. Just... out of, uh, general curiosity, was I a good leader? I didn’t cause any problems, did I?”

> _Well, you didn’t murder us on the spot. So there’s that._

Ichika blocked Koto’s device and blurted out “He’s kidding! Kidding!”

Before Noriko could interject, she felt a light tug on the bottom of her jacket. She looked down to see Ryou, looking as calm as ever.

“I see you are in great distress. Here, follow my lead and let the universe take the time to correct itself for you.”

With slow yet smooth movements, Ryou rubbed his hands together, pulled them apart like he was stretching invisible putty, then brought them together without touching his hands. While he repeated the process, Noriko followed along the best she could. After a few moments, she lowered her hands and smiled.

“...Thanks. I really needed that. I owe you.”

“Nonsense. The only thing you owe me is the knowledge you are at peace and also your position as the team leader.”

Before he could get a response, a familiar voice called out “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Tsukiko turned to the sound of the voice. Sure enough, there was Saori sitting on the edge of the stage, pursing her lips together in a smug smile.

A few others had began to notice her presence as well. Pushing Misao aside, Asami walked to the front of the stage and stated “Took you long enough! Let’s get going! My adoring fans aren’t going to wait _forever_ , you know!”

“Ah, ah, ah. You didn’t listen. _Aren’t you forgetting something_?”

She spoke louder and sharper, which alerted those who hadn’t noticed her yet. They looked around the gym, eager to see what Saori was seeing.

Just like the aftermath of the dreaded announcement, Tsukiko spoke first.

“...Where’s Noboru?”

A cacophony of voices swept the room and talked over each other, some with confusion and most with growing worry.

“Um… Excuse me,” Nakami began, nearly drowned out by the rest of the class, “but, ladies, has anyone seen a guy blush awkwardly around them? Even just a glimpse?”

“At _me_? Good one!” Ichika bellowed.

Noriko chuckled and replied “For whoever’s sake this is, I hope not…”

Chie crossed her arms and stated matter-of-factly “I’ve seen you pass glances at Masayoshi. Does that count?”

Blushing, he replied, “N-No. I’m just asking because… I don’t think Yutaka is around here, either.”

“Not only that,” Benjiro proclaimed, “but I haven't heard one utterance of the words “Uncle Benji” from Haruto! Where the hell did that kid go?”

Misao, with stars in her eyes, proclaimed “Don’t worry, I’ll help you find him!”

“F-Fuck off! I don’t need your help!”

She gave him a blank look before a smile crept on her face.  
  
“...Oooooh, I get it! He’s _your_ nephew, so you’d probably want to find him by yourself! You’re such a caring uncle! Well, don’t let me stop you! I can see you miss him already!”

“ _Oh, by the time I’m done with you, he’s not going to be the_ only _person that’s missed..._ ”

Misao leaned over to Asami and whispered “Hear that? Benji misses you! I don’t think he’s taking the breakup well…”

Before Benjiro could fly into a conniption, Saori interrupted the conversation.

“Took you long enough. Those three got a head start. Honestly, though, you’re all extremely careless for glossing over such an important detail. What happened to holding the lives of each and every classmate close to you?”

Chie, however, wasn’t going to let herself be condescended to.

“Wait a minute. Aren’t you the low-life criminal who killed thousands in the National Diet building? What makes _you_ the arbiter of right and wrong in this situation? Where was your talk of caring for the fellow man when you were slitting their throats?”

The classroom’s chatter drew to a screeching halt.

Even the most brazen weren’t ready to face the wrath of Saori, especially not after her previous fiasco. They watched with horror, worried just how a war criminal would react to a lone authority trying to shut her down. Would Chie receive a lashing? Or would the class bare witness to their first victim and murderer?

Saori’s movements were slow and subtle. She crossed her arms and frowned. Not an angered frown ready to tear her classmate a new one, but rather a disappointed frown, harboring the same condescension that Chie had tried to diffuse.

She spoke, with a voice that was calm and all-knowing, as if she had experienced the situation before.

“Chie, listen good and hard, because I’m only going to say this once. I never did what I did for fame or fortune or some grand despair-spreading agenda. I did it to protect the lives of each and every one of you. If I didn’t step in and take action, then the whole world would of been at stake instead of the measly thousand I sacrificed. Don’t let the media fool you, I’m not as much as a psychopath as I’m made out to be.”

After her speech, Tsukiko approached stage and clapped, trying to appease Saori before anything else could happen.

“Exactly! An action like hers shouldn’t go unnoticed! Hell, if we’re getting out of here, we'll need to sacrifice the want of at least _one_ person! If not, then how do you expect we keep ourselves alive? And, speaking of which, I’m sure your dying to show us that exit, so-”

“Hah! What makes you think _I’m_ showing it to any of you?”

The class was shocked.

“W-What the fuck are you talking about!?” Benjiro shouted.

“Good to see your skull is just as thick as those glasses, Benji. What I’m saying is that you’re going to need to find that exit on your own. After all, if you can’t solve something as simple as a hidden exit, how do you think you’ll be able to solve a full-scale murder?”

“But… where do you suppose we should look?” Yuuna replied.

“That’s _your_ problem. You’ve all proven yourself to be careless individuals, so what good would it do if I just kept coddling you? I’d actually like to have a chance to _survive_ , you know.”

> _Smart woman. Let’s ditch these idiots while we still have the chance._

“I guess I’ll be leaving alone, then.”

Koto clutched his chest.

> _Is this what love feels like?_

“Saori,” Ryou responded, his face a calm ocean that masked the ripples in his voice, “it is quite self-serving of you to not help us. Keeping us away from our path to freedom just to make a statement will get us nowhere.”

“Yeah!” Misao added, trying to sound annoyed but still flashing a giddy smile. “And you’re being shellfish, too!”

“You sure you don’t mean “selfish”?” Ichika asked. She smiled wide, ready to come in for the kill. “Cause that sentence sounds awfully _fishy_ to me!”

“Wait a minute, guys!” Tsukiko bellowed to the crowd. “Think about it for a second: we wanted to come here to test our talents, right? Then let’s make this into the best damn learning experience we could ever hope for!”

Gesturing to her classmates, she continued with “Hell, we’ve already got some of the best investigators in Japan! Chie’s an analyst of the very buildings she sets out to create!”

After the words left her mouth, Tsukiko realized she just gave the architect the perfect time to reveal her near-rule-breaking to the class. While her face remained cheerful, inside she prayed Chie didn't take the opportunity to humiliate her or, even better, didn't even notice her mistake in the first place.

Instead, Chie said nothing, simply opting to flick out her card and show it to the class. When she turned to face Tsukiko, she looked at her with her usual flat glare, with Tsukiko unable to tell whether she was distrusting or following along with her plan. Luckily for her, she kept her mouth shut.

“And,” Tsukiko continued before Chie could warrant a response, “Benjiro has a sharp eye for news stories and written errors, so what difference would it be if we replaced those with a landscape?”

His face burned up as he scowled at her.

“T-That’s damn right! And, don’t forget it!”

“And, of course, Nakami…”

Before she can continue, she caught a glimpse at his expression. He looked completely and utterly horrified.

_Quick, change of plans._

“...Woooould be the group muscle! Just look at those biceps!”

The class all prattled on in agreement as Nakami gave a thankful nod.

“If you need more investigators," Asami noted, "then feast your eyes on yours truly! If I can find the most stunning fabrics, than why go step beyond?”

Asami then slammed her hand on the stage, staring down Saori with a venomous gaze.

“And you better believe I’m tearing this fucking place apart! You mess with the queen? Then you’re gonna get executed!”

“Stop. I’m trembling.”

“I can help too!” Misao pitched in. “If you need me to, I can break down doors, crawl under spaces, jump in front of a death trap, you name it!”

Noriko raised a hand and said “I’ll join too. Unless getting people to fall in love will help us escape, I doubt my talent will be of any use.”

“Well, well, well,” Ichika chuckled, “it looks like we now have brains _and_ brawn! Unfortunately I have neither, so-”

“Oh _no_ you don’t!” Tsukiko proclaimed. “You know what happens when everyone starts to slow down and lose their drive to keep going?”

> _They die?_

“ _No_! We need some of the best artists and performers around to keep giving moral support! Consider yourselves part of that group!”

Tsukiko waited for Ichika to make one of her signature self-defeating comments, but thankfully what she got instead was an ecstatic grin.

“Me? Oh my gosh, thank you so much! You’re amazing! I’ll do whatever I can!”

Leaning in to Koto, Ichika almost giggled out “Hear that? Looks like you and me are gonna be partners!”

> _Joy._

From where he was standing, Ryou clutched his hands together like he was praying, stating “I will assist as well. Tai chi is the ultimate diffuser of stress.” Under his breath, he muttered with a devilish grin “ _This_ will show them all. Nobody will disrespect my craft anymore…”

“...You know we can hear you, right?”

“Uhhh…. That… was… just the aura around you talking! See, Tsukiko? The power of tai chi is rubbing off on you already!”

“...Alright then! Hey, Yuuna! Do you want to join these guys as well?”

With a small curtsy, Yuuna responded “It would be my honor. If any of you need anything, then please don’t hesitate to ask!”

“We’ll also need Okamura in this position as well.” Chie piped in. “The farther we keep him away from danger, the more likely it is that we’ll survive.”

Hibiki froze when all eyes were on him. With wide-eyed terror, he nodded along to Chie’s plan.

Clapping her hands together, Tsukiko bellowed “Excellent! With everyone on board, let’s get looking!”

The students split off, some starting at the base of the walls, a couple investigating the bottom of the stage and a few running into the equipment room. Even Saori became part of the action, coming down from the stage and standing near the middle of the room, watching the process that had been set up. Tsukiko couldn’t help but smile, patting herself on the back for a job well done.

When Tsukiko walked past each classmate, she noticed something she hadn’t fully seen yet: an honest case of teamwork and understanding. Through their requests and analytics, she would hear the occasional laugh or lively conversation, free of worry.

_Was this what it would of been like if Monokuma never entered our lives?_

_If so, then I hope we can get out of here even faster._

Through the conversations and staunch investigations, though, one person stood out from the crowd. From his place along the bottom of the stage, Nakami occasionally took long glances at Saori. She, in return, would attempt to ignore him, yet slowly make eye contact yet again.

Finally, one of them broke the silence.

“...Ma’am?”

With a sigh, Saori nonchalantly responded “Damn, I was getting used to all this alone time. What do you want, kid?”

“I have a quick question for you: is there a reason as to why you were sitting on the stage when we arrived?”

“To get a good view of the chaos, of course. Unfortunately, it was only a three-star show at best.”

“In that case, you wouldn’t mind if I went up there, would you?”

“Why? There’s not much there besides a first-class view of all these lovely little idiots.”

“I… just have a hunch.”

“Then go ahead.”

As he climbed up the stage, a few of his peers, including Tsukiko, caught sight of him and followed.

Nakami, however, didn’t seem to notice the growing party behind him. Instead, he walked on the sturdy wooden panelling, stopped, walked much more slowly, then finally lowered himself to the ground. After a few moments of introspection, he finally got up.

He turned around, at first a bit startled by the sudden crowd. However, he soon regained his composure and asked an odd question.

“Does anyone have an object with them I can borrow, by any chance?”

Misao practically bounced to the front of the crowd, clutching the straps of her helmet.

“You can take this if you wanna! Just autograph it once you’re done!”

“Er, that’s not what I’m looking for, but thank you…”

Gracefully maneuvering it out of her head of hair, Yuuna presented her own item with “How about my hair clip?”

“You’re on the right track, but I don’t think this will do the trick, unfortunately…”

Ryou spread out his arms and asked “I can offer my love and affection. And at the end of the day, is that not the most valuable gift of them all?”

“Sorry, but no…”

Ryou hung his head in shame and sulked. Noriko patted his back while shaking her head.

Tsukiko stepped in front of everyone, declaring “I have some bullets you can try out!”

“Can I see them?”

From her holster, she pulled out a variety of different ammunition. Blanks, tracers, buckshot, and many more, with some bullets not even matching the model of the guns she had on her. And each bullet was dyed neon pink.

Nakami picked up a blank and stated “Perfect! May I borrow one for a minute?”

She nodded, glad that Chie was too distracted with her own work to scold her for even _looking_ at bullets again.

Nakami leaned back to the ground, placing the bullet on its side and waiting. Sure enough, it began to roll away from him before hitting the back wall of the stage with a light thunk.

Following the bullet, the floor beneath it looked much more scuffed compared to the rest of the stage’s groundwork. Lining up his vision with where the marks started and ended, he felt along the wall.

Finally, he heard a click.

With little effort, he pulled back the wall. In its place was a deep corridor, with whatever was inside it being unseen through the thick layer of darkness.

In response, the others on the stage cheerfully began to alert those still searching. While the rest of the class began to join, Saori applauded Nakami from her place on the gym floor and stated “Not bad at all, kid. Looks like you were the Ultimate Police Officer for a reason.

“I… N-No, it wasn’t much. It was just a quick trick they taught us to find heavy rooms. That’s all...”

“Move.”

Alarmed by Chie’s sudden appearance onstage, Nakami nearly jumped as he moved out of the way. Pushing her way through the crowd, she glanced inside the corridor.

“Just as I thought. This pathway is going to be extremely hard to navigate in its current condition.”

Beginning to walk offstage, she alerted the others that “I’m going to get some supplies. I’ll be back in a moment. And Tsukiko?”

Rattled by the sudden attention put on her, Tsukiko responded with a hesitant “Yeah?”

“Try not to shoot up the place while I’m gone.”


	6. Climax Reasoning

Tsukiko turned pale.

Chie nonchalantly walked away from the conversation, unfazed by the sudden information she had just given the students. Once she was out the door, the other students pounced on Tsukiko like ravenous animals. 

“Tsukiko, what’s she talking about?” Noriko asked. Whether she spoke with genuine curiosity or subtle intimidation was hard to tell. 

“It’s... nothing. Chie was just being a bit paranoid, that’s all. Anyways, how about we get a head start looking in that corridor?”

“Tsukiko,” Saori said impatiently, “we’re not going to drop a topic just because you changed it. We’re not five.”

Meanwhile, Misao tried rushing into the corridor head-first before Nakami managed to stop her.

“...Okay, so maybe  _ one  _ of us is five. Nonetheless, I’d suggest talking. Your audience is waiting.”

Tsukiko knew Saori wasn’t going to budge. So, she decided to fess up to her crime before they suspected her of doing something far worse.

“I… uh… nearly shot a wall. But hear me out! I thought if I could destroy a big enough chunk, we could all easily just walk out through it!”

Benjiro yelled at her before anyone else got the chance to.

“WHAT!? Why would you do something so… so reckless! Do the rules mean  _ nothing  _ to you!?”

“About that… I… actually didn’t read them until after the incident. Heh, whoops…”

Benjiro looked heated enough to burn holes into his glasses.

“ _NO_! You don’t get to brush this off like it’s nothing! We have rules for a reason, you know! They keep us in line! Where would we be if the world was run without authority?” Gesturing to Saori, he answered “Killing people just like this asshole right here!”

“Benji, the last time we talked, you were planning on ruining the lives of everyone in this place.”

“Oh, I’m still planning on ruining lives, but I’m doing it with a set of  _ rules _ , goddammit!”

“I really hate to say it,” Noriko stated, “but he has a point. How can we trust someone who leads us into a situation they don’t even know the danger of?”

Asami responded “That’s right! For all we know, that unsightly little bear would have punished all of us for her stupid actions!  And  _ nobody _ can make a dead body look fashionable!"

Misao swooped into the conversation and replied “C’mon, guys! We shouldn't be so hard on her! She's been super helpful and smart and talented and probably makes great autographs!”

"This is gonna sound as stupid as usual,” said Ichika, “but I'm with Misao! If there's one thing Tsukiko's been, it's helpful! And her almost breaking that rule was her trying to be just that! Without her taking charge, we'd probably be as lost as my audience during an open mic night!"

> _ Fair point, but just because she had good intentions doesn't mean she used them in the right way. It's like if she murdered you for being a shitty comedian. It would be a blessing to our eardrums, but would you actually deserve it? _

“Me? Hell yeah! She could murder me for  _ existing _ for how little it mattered!”

Koto was about to write a crass response when Saori decided to announce her own theory. 

“Wait. How can we even be sure Tsukiko is telling us the truth?”

Tsukiko didn’t like where this was going.

“What do you mean?” she responded with a nervous chuckle. “I wouldn’t tell people I almost broke the rules for a laugh, you know…”

However, Saori only responded with complete seriousness. 

“Why should we assume that measly act was your crime? All Chie said when she left was “try not to shoot up the place”. That leaves  _ quite  _ a bit to interpretation, don’t you think?”

Tsukiko’s heart stopped. 

“H-Hold on! What are you trying to accuse me of?”

“Tsukiko, I suggest not trying to argue. You’re the culprit in this case, not the attorney. All I’m saying is how do we know you weren’t planning something worse? I mean, where’s the proof that you didn’t? Because I’m not seeing it right now.”

“Wait a second!”

The class turned their attention towards Nakami, who just blurted out those two words. Almost on cue, he blushed. Tsukiko caught him looking at her for a second, but he quickly averted eye contact when she tried returning it.

“I... think you're being a bit harsh. She made a huge mistake, sure, but I know for a fact she genuinely didn't know what she was doing. “

Innocently, Misao asked “How do you know? Ohmigosh! Can you read minds?  _ Quick _ ! What number am I thinking of!?”

“N-No, I can't do that, but I was with her when this happened. I was the one who had to stop her and correct her mistakes.”

“And how can we be sure  _ you’re  _ not lying? For all we know, you two might have connections…”   


Quietly, Hibiki’s unsteady voice remarked “T-That’s not true.”

She turned to face him, looking at him like he was an insect. He looked close to running out the doors in a panic, but managed to keep still while muttering his thoughts.

“I-I saw both of them. Chie was there, too. I-I didn't see everything, though. T-The news of the exit d-distracted us. B-But otherwise, i-it went exactly like they're saying....”

Annoyed, she asked "Pray tell, why are you telling me this information  _ now _ ? I don’t enjoy wasting my free time, you know."

"I... I-I didn't want anyone to get upset. B-But I, uh, don't think it helped..."

Saori stayed silent, eyeing up the trio with suspicion. After a few moments, though, she shook her head and responded “Alright, fine. I have no reason to doubt three separate eyewitness reports, so why should I? But you better not try and pull something like this again, Tsukiko.”

Yuuna chimed in, politely asking “Well… it may be possible she won’t.”

When Saori gave a curious look, Yuuna asked the guilty party “Tsukiko, might I ask if you’ve read the rules by now?”

“Yeah! Nakami showed me them himself!”

“Then you’ve learned your lesson, right? I’d imagine if you’re informed of your mistake, we wouldn’t have to worry anymore!”

Ryou interrupted by saying “Exactly! With an issue like this, it is in our best interest to let the ordeal slide. If we let the pressures of our situation surround us, we will just be worsening ourselves.”

The class murmured in agreement, some of which was on board with dropping the conversation while others did so reluctantly. 

“I’m glad we could get that settled,” Yuuna continued, “but there’s another thing I’m worried about. How do you think your teammates are doing, Saori? Will they be okay in there?”

Scoffing, Saori replied “Them? Well, I doubt Haruto found anything. The kid’s stuck so far up his own imagination that I’m surprised he isn’t shitting rainbows. Yutaka shows more promise, especially since there’s no T&A around that can distract him. As for Noboru…”

Her face became grim. 

“...I can’t say for sure. He’s a wild card, even to someone like me.”

Though clearly panicked to be speaking up, Hibiki muttered out “...D-Do… Do you think the three of them will be okay in there? T-There might be… vicious creatures in there… Ones that attack on a moment’s notice…”

“Don’t worry, Tsukiko said, “I’m pretty sure Yutaka and Haruto will come out fine.”

> _...And Noboru?  _

“A-And Noboru! Of course!”

Tsukiko’s sudden correction sadly couldn’t fix the sudden dread the class felt. Luckily, the gym door springing open helped halt the situation. 

Walking through the entrance, Chie brought in one of the unlabeled boxes from the storage room, along with a large spool of rope and a small lighter placed firmly on top of it. She placed the items near the others, with them beginning to crowd around the strange package.

“Good, none of you left. If my suspicions are correct, then this box should contain exactly what we need. Does anyone have something sharp I can borrow?” 

Walking up to the strange box, Asami hollered “Why have something sharp when you can have some _ one _ ? Step aside, dearies!”

She raised her left hand, extending talon-like nails towards the tape binding the box and beginning to tear through the package. However, the tape proved to be thicker than she thought, because her nails began chipping by the time she was halfway done.

“Oh. My. GOD! These nails took me weeks to grow! The  _ fuck _ !”

“Then stop. I’ll do the rest.”

Digging her fingers into the space Asami had cut out for her, Chie slid them on the inside of the box like a jackknife. Finally, she managed to pry it open. 

Inside was sixteen large, white candles. 

“Aha! Just as I thought! Back at Takahashi Incorporated, I’d order these exact same boxes for our workers!”

Chie grabbed four candles at a time, passing one out for each person and lighting them with a flick of the lighter. When only three were left, she put them back in the box.

“Don’t you _ dare _ touch these.” Chie coldly mentioned. “They’re for the team in the passageway. There’s no doubt that without a light source, they’re wandering around like chickens with their heads cut off.”

“Fair enough,” Saori proclaimed, “but what do we need the rope for? A trapeze act for Misao or something?”

“Navigation.” Chie responded. Pushing past the crowd and towards the corridor, she gestured into the inescapable darkness and continued “And, judging by the length of that corridor, we’re going to need as much as we can.”

The others crowded around the entrance to what was possibly their one way to freedom. What could be inside? The promised escape they wanted? A dead end? Or the scene of two dead bodies and one killer?

Tsukiko clutched her candle firmly, her passion burning as brightly as the flame on the wick.

_ Only one way to find out.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick fact about this chapter: I was planning for it to come out with the previous one, but that one got really damn long. So, I doubt the next chapter will be coming out as quickly as this one lol.


	7. Relativity

The search was a disaster.

Well, it wasn’t one at  _ first _ . When they started, the only thing that stood in their way was a single, straight path. While some people stayed silent and focused on the concrete corridor shown through their candles, many of them were chatting up a storm. Even Tsukiko was feeling confident, attempting to share advice she had about their travels. However, Chie constantly shooting her dirty looks made her realize that now wasn’t a good time. 

However, their journey didn’t stay that easy. 

The changes started out small. The path would occasionally throw in a left or right turn, nothing too out of the ordinary. But then the turns became more and more frequent. As they marched forth, the road ahead began to zig-zag. They went right. They went left. They went down steep staircases. At times it even felt like they were walking on the ceiling. 

There were also branching pathways and forks in the road to deal with. The class was forced to choose a random path, deciding in a group vote. However, they had been unlucky when choosing which way to go; all they hit was a patch of wall before Chie begrudgingly wound her rope back up and retraced her steps. 

When they finally managed to get back on track, the mood had more than soured. 

Looking at his watch, Benjiro whined “It’s been an  _ hour _ !? Are you fucking  _ kidding me _ !?” 

“Don’t even start, Morishita.” Chie grumpily muttered from the front of the line.

“Saaaaaay, Saori!” Ichika quickly sidestepped. “Do have an idea of where your team went?”

“Zilch. I was halfway out the gym spreading the news by the time they started exploring.”

Near the end of the line, Hibiki talked to himself, barely audibly saying “O-Oh God, I-I hope they're okay…”

Misao popped up beside him, nearly giving him a heart attack as she loudly proclaimed “Don’t be such a worrywart, Hibiki! There’s no teddy bear guy around right now!”

Not wanting to get into any more trouble, Tsukiko held her tongue. However, Nakami seemed to be reading her mind. 

Through the small glances at her tattered shirt, he stated “I, uh, think he’s worried about more than just Monokuma, miss…”

“OMG, you’re right! He’s worried about _ two _ teddy bears! Don’t worry, we can work through this! We just to get them to blow up each other-” 

“Hold that thought, Misao.” Chie interrupted. Pointing to something in the far end of the darkness, she continued “I think we’re here.” 

What she gestured to was hard to make out at first. But, after a bit of squinting, the class saw what she did: a small light at the end of the hallway.

Relief swept over the class as their pace quickened. Getting closer and closer to their target, what was once a small glimmer of hope grew into something less abstract. The light grew and beamed, taking the shape of an opening. 

They filed inside, the light blinding them momentarily. Without even knowing what they were looking at, there was already anticipation. Especially since it had been forever since they could spread out.

But when their vision finally cleared, they were mortified.

Surrounding the large room, thousands of different openings littered the room. Some were floor level, while others required gravity-defying staircase to reach. It looked like something out of a painting. Alluring, sure, but not fun to traverse. 

“ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW!?” Asami screamed.

“Now, now,” Ryou calmly stated, “This is merely a roadblock in the grand highway of life…”

“This isn’t a roadblock! It’s a fucking car-wreck!”

Before the startled Ryou could reply, Noriko swooped in.

“Ah, but it’s a car-wreck people will be overjoyed to see you walk away from. I don’t know them like you do, but I’m sure your fans will be disappointed seeing their idol frazzled.”

“...You’re absolutely right.” Asami admitted. “When I’m outta here, I’m coming back as a perfect ten! You hear me!?”

Wearily smiling, Noriko responded “We sure do, Asami.”

Ryou stood back and scowled.

At the same time, Koto wrote down another message, flashing it to anyone willing to look. 

> _ Hey idiots, when you’re done using up your last working brain cells, might I ask where the fuck we’re going? _

“Lose the attitude, Mikami.” Chie told him coldly. “I have this covered. I… just need a moment.”

Chie began to look around while the others distracted themselves. That is, except for Tsukiko. She couldn’t stop impatiently watching the architect, witnessing the snail’s pace she was moving at while investigating. Sure, she was being thorough, but she wasn’t being  _ quick _ . If she was going to save lives, she needed to move before anything could happen. 

_ Someone needs to take charge. Someone like… _

She help her thoughts. Like it or not, she needed to stay out of Chie’s hair. She had already caused an argument across the class thanks to not following directions, and swapping out Monokuma’s rule for Chie’s didn’t change a thing.

Maybe one of her classmates would step in and help. Possibly Nakami, with his helpful attitude but  _ very _ intrusive nervousness. Or Noriko, whose calm demeanor would only  _ slightly _ be ignored because of her appearance. Or Koto, who would lead the team with a sarcastic jab every step of the way. 

_ … _

_...Hell, why not? I’ve never been good at impulse control, anyway. _

“Hey Chie, how about I give it a shot?”

Chie didn't even bother to turn and face her.

“Absolutely not. The last time you tried to help, we almost had bullets in the ceiling.”

_ This is going to be harder than I thought. _

 “Please, just give me another chance. I swear, I can use my head instead of my gun for once.”

“You’ve had your chance, Masayoshi.”

Tsukiko had no other choice. It was time for the big guns now.

“It’s not about chances! Listen, if you can’t trust a single classmate to find a way that, mind you, will just get us to lose time if chosen wrong, then what are you going to do if someone dies here? If were stuck in trial, then there’s  _ nobody _ you can trust. How could you trust  _ any _ of us to solve something so big?”

Chie finally turned around.

“Those situations aren’t the same, Masayoshi.”

“But one of them could be avoided. Please. Work with me here.” 

Chie paused, mad about the situation but still considering it. Finally, she reached a consensus:

“You get ten minutes. If you run out of time or choose the wrong path, then you’ll stay silent for the rest of the journey. Understand?”

Tsukiko knew it wasn’t much of a bargain. Ten minutes to search an entire room’s worth of pathways wasn’t possible for an architect, much less a sharpshooter. Still, beggars couldn’t be choosers and she knew it.

“Understood.”   


“You better. Time starts now.”

With that, Tsukiko rushed off while Chie looked down at her wristwatch. Though the amount of openings were overwhelming, Tsukiko wasn’t going to let that deter her. She formed a game plan, visualizing the best route to take.

Nine minutes remained. 

She went down the floor levels first, since they would kill the least amount of time. She briefly checked each one of them, trying to find some hint of past use. Sadly, there was nothing.

Six minutes remained. 

Next was the top half. Climbing the stairs would make things longer, so she’d need to move quickly. 

Five minutes remained.

First, she checked the left side. Sadly, there was still nothing. If she didn’t get her act together or get lucky, she’d need to choose at random. 

Three minutes remaining.

She scrambled to the right side, looking frantically. And there was still-

_ Wait a minute. _

She checked the entrance of her current location a bit harder. It seemed normal at first. Located at the top of the room near the middle of a wall, Tsukiko was so used to searching that she treated it as every other. However, when she let her eyes adjust, she saw something odd.

Lying near one of the walls was a lone black hat. 

Concerned, Tsukiko grabbed the hat and used the candle to look inside. What she saw made her retreat back to the tunnel’s entrance to alert her classmates “Guys! I just found the way we’re looking for!”

“How do you know?” Chie shot back, her wrist still shot out for a better view of her watch. If Tsukiko was counting right, there was only a minute to spare.

But she had bigger things to worry about. 

Tsukiko waved the hat around, fighting to not show her fear.

“Because this is Yutaka’s hat.”

The class faltered for a moment, then scrambled upstairs faster than ever. A few looked into the hat with the expression Tsukiko tried hiding, confirming to them that she was unfortunately right.

“You don’t suppose something… happened to them, do you?” Yuuna asked Tsukiko wearily. She tried maintaining eye contact, but kept checking the hat for some very familiar-looking scratch marks.

“N-No, don’t be ridiculous. He… just lost it. That’s all. We just need to give it back to him when we find him.” 

“ _ If _ we find him.” Hibiki muttered hopelessly.

“”If” isn’t an option.” Chie brashly stated. Directing the class down the tunnel, she continued with “Everyone, this way.” 


	8. Clash Of Ideals

The class wandered nervously down the hall, all excitement sapped from them the second they saw the remnants of a classmate. Even Tsukiko, whose face looked as undisturbed as a serene pond, still had trickles of fear on the inside. Her hands brushing against her gun handle was proof of that.   


She looked around through the faint light, anticipating seeing splatters dressing the walls and floors. And, judging by the brief glances she got of her classmates, it seemed like they were searching for the exact same thing.

Fortunately, there was nothing more than the usual bare walls lining the area. Unfortunately, the lack of answers was slowly chipping away at Tsukiko’s patience. 

“...Chie, this isn’t working.”

From the front of the line, she loudly muttered “Well, it’s going to need to, Masayoshi.”

Tsukiko felt a fire start inside her.

“We need to change our plan. If we don’t, then who knows what will happen?”

“For the last time-”

Saori cut in with “Hold it, Chie. Let’s hear her out.”

“...Wait." Tsukiko stated, "Are you… Are you serious?”

“I wish I wasn't. But, what other options do we have? It’s not like anyone  _ else _ has been trying very hard. So, come on. Just  _ try _ to explain yourself.”

“Wow! Uh, thanks! Anyways, I was thinking… we still have most of the same teams, right? Then let’s go back into them and split up! Like last time, but for a missing person instead of an exit!”

At first, the class just responded in silence.

But then, Nakami spoke up.

“I’m… I’m not sure about this.”

Tsukiko’s fire was now burning brighter than ever.

“Come on! We can do it! We’ll just meet back here and-”

“Yes, but don’t you know how long it took to even  _ get  _ here?” Asami replied, exasperated.

“Even with what Chie brought,” Noriko said, “I doubt there would be enough rope for three more pathways.” 

“Well, we don’t need to use the rope then, do we!? I’m sure somebody has _ something  _ we can use! Benji! You have that notebook of yours, right!? We can rip up some pages to make a trail!”

Clutching onto his notebook tightly, he snarled at Tsukiko and told her “Not a chance! Besides, if there’s not enough rope, then there’s certainly not enough paper in here!”

“Then we’ll just need everyone’s help! Everyone, empty your pockets!”

“I like your enthusiasm!” Ichika shouted. “...Buuuut I’m not sure that’s the only problem here.”

Koto wrote down a message, the light of the screen piercing the dark. When he was done, he passed it to Tsukiko.

> _ I’d hate to say the clown’s right, but she’s right. I mean, how can we make sure we don’t miss meeting up again? How can we be sure nobody dies? Face it, your plan is terrible. Move on. _

Tsukiko’s fire raged out of control.

She threw the device to the ground, with it cracking when it hit the surface.

The class looked up from the chipped device back to Tsukiko’s furious face.

“For shit sakes! Is  _ this _ the sort of class I’ve become a part of!? First, you sit back and watch someone nearly get murdered! Now, you’re too afraid to go look for your classmates? And for  _ what _ !? Because you’re scared of getting _ lost _ !?”

Stepping in, Ryou responded “M-My friend, I understand your frustration, b-but this is not all we’re-”

“Oh? Then what is? Are you scared to run into two dead bodies?”

There was a deafening silence.

“...I think you know exactly what’s at stake here.” Saori finally stated.

“And I also understand that you were right all along. Everyone here is careless after all.”

She turned away, with Nakami calling out “Er, Tsukiko, where are you going?”

“Wherever I can. If you guys aren’t going to try and help, then I sure as hell will.”

So, she sprinted away, with Nakami’s cries of “TSUKIKO!” echoing behind her.   
  


\----------------------------

Tsukiko rushed through the halls, with only a candle to guide her. As she moved further and further away from her group, her anger faded and rational thought returned. She realized that her outburst wasn’t going to help her class trust her at all. Combined with her first trigger-happy outburst, she was proving herself to be quite a hassle. 

But at the same time, she felt no shame in her actions. She was right about her class. What had they done to help? To her, hardly anything. It felt like only her and Saori were getting anything done, with her class needing to be pointed in the right direction. Even somebody like Nakami, whose police background should have made him more useful, never felt he was much help. It was just like-

_ WHAM! _

Tsukiko was so caught up in her thoughts that she banged into something on her path. Slightly annoyed, she moved her candle close to the source of her roadblock.

And in the light, she saw something familiar.

Or, rather, some _ one _ .

"YUTAKA!"

Though he was too stunned to respond, Tsukiko tackled him with a hug anyways. Despite how sturdy he was, he trembled as she touched him. With what strength he had in him, he gently pushed her away. 

“N-Now… Now is _ not  _ the time. Where are the others?”

Tsukiko looked back into the darkness, seeing nothing to latch onto for direction. Suddenly, she realizes that her classmates’ fears were justified after all.

“Uh…”

“TSUKIKO!”

Tsukiko’s eyes followed the sound. From in the darkness, she could see the distinct outline of Nakami rushing towards her, with shadows in the distance dragging a rope behind them.

“Are you-”

He stopped in his tracks when he saw Yutaka, with the rest of the class following suit when they caught up. 

“Y-Yutaka? You’re alive!”

Ignoring Nakami, he asked “Is everyone here?”

“I don’t know what you’re-”

_ “Is everyone here!?” _

Tsukiko was startled by how frantic he sounded.

“Yep!” Misao cheerily replied. “Well, until Miss Tsukiko over there decided to run away for a bit. But now we’re one big happy class again!”

“Oh, thank God.”

He looked up and spotted Saori, who was fiddling with something in her hands. He smiled and stepped towards her.

“And you managed to find my hat as well. Good job, everybody. I was afraid it would just sit in that passageway, gathering dust.”

“Wait, you… you left it there?”

Chuckling at Tsukiko’s question, he said “Of course. How else would you know where our group was? The pace could have been improved, but you all did well.”

Saori chimed in with “Huh. Clever thinking. Maybe this group isn’t such a waste after all.”

The mere sentence seemed to make Hibiki on edge.

“...Is there something you’d like to say, Okamura?”

“S-Sorry, Chie. I-I… I-I hate to point it out, but…”

“Spit it out, son.”

“O-Of course, Yutaka. I-It’s just… s-speaking of groups, w-where are the others?”

Although Hibiki’s voice dipped to a whisper, Yutaka's frightened expression showed he heard every word.

“That’s what I was out here for.”

“Y-You mean… Haruto…”

“Miss Yuuna, I assure you Haruto’s okay. The problem is Noboru.”

With absolute terror, he stated two simple words: 

“He’s gone.”

The second the words left his mouth, everyone mimicked Yutaka’s fear.

“W-What?” Tsukiko muttered out. “How…”   


“When we were exploring, the three of us found something. Some sort of… of doorway.”

Tsukiko’s face perked up a bit.

“Like… and exit?”

“Only Haruto can tell you that. First chance he got, he burst into that room and shut the door. Poor guy must have been scared as all Hell.”

“Why didn’t you go in with him?”

“Because the second I turned away from Haruto, Noboru vanished. I don’t know where he went, but I wasn’t leaving him alone. Who knows what could happen?”

Yuuna remarked with “That’s a nice gesture, Yutaka.”

“W-Well, I-”

“But you may have been focusing on the wrong thing.”

“...What?”

“Well, I don’t mean to make you all worried or anything but… is leaving a defenseless child all alone alright?”

Hearing Yuuna’s argument made Yutaka tense up even more.

“GAH! You’re right! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!”

Ryou cut in, stating “There is no need to beat yourself up, my muscular friend. There is still time to return back to where you once came.”

Gesturing to the darkness, Yutaka responded “Well, that’s not exactly going to be the easiest task, Ryou…”

Chipping in, Tsukiko giddily stated “Then we’ll just have to try a little harder!”

Yutaka smiled, ready to traverse the shadows. 

“I like your courageousness, Tsukiko.”

And, slightly bitter, Tsukiko thought one last thing before her new journey:

_ At least  _ someone _ here does.  _


	9. Escape Room

After a half-hour of meandering through the dark, Yutaka finally stopped the group abruptly. Though their surroundings weren’t exactly different from what they were used to, he still walked as far as he could alone, brandishing the candle Chie passed onto him. 

After a moment or so, he gestured the others to take a look. And, when they gathered together, the picture their light formed became a lot more clear.

In front of them was a large steel door. 

Without hesitation, Yutaka banged a fist on the door loudly, with the metallic drum of the steel echoing around the class.

“HARUTO! I’M BACK! IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT IN THERE!?”

There was no response. 

“...Maybe it’s really an exit after all.” Misao told him. “Don’t worry! He’s probably safe and sound!"

“No, that can’t be it.”

“Oh? Why not?”  
  
“Because I can hear footsteps in there.”

The room went deathly silent.

Of course, Tsukiko didn’t let it last for long.

“Then we’ll have to do something about it, won’t we?”

She pulled out one of her guns, beginning to load them with her signature pink bullets.

“Everyone, stick behind me.”

“Hold it.”

Saori stepped towards the sharpshooter, her expression unreadable to her. She extended a hand out.

“Give me one of those. You’re not doing this alone.”

Tsukiko smiled and, without a second thought, gave her classmate an extension of herself. Then, with someone as backup, she slowly pushed open the door.

Inside, the same murky blackness as the corridor stared back at the class. Hiding away something possibly dangerous until it was too late. 

But it’s silent intimidation wasn’t going to stop Tsukiko. 

“FREEZE!” she yelled as she pounced inside, her gun cocked and ready to strike whatever danger lurked nearby. 

Her response was answered by the lights suddenly turning on.

The brightness was like a flashbang to them, blinding them momentarily. However, when the fog cleared from their eyes, they witnessed a strange sight.

Instead of the exit they were looking for, they were positioned inside a large, metallic room. Small television screens covered the walls, showing a still shot of every room of the school they had visited so far. Security desks faced the screens, with the only area barren being home to the largest television they had even seen, which rested on the back wall.  

And that wasn’t even getting into the contents of the room. Thousands of papers littered the room, as if a cyclone hit. The floor was covered with so much white that it looked like a sheet of snow, and even the desks were sprinkled with a sheet or two. 

And then there was the strangest sight of all. 

On both the left and right side of the television, sixteen perfect replicas of each student looked back at them. Every detail, from their eye colour to stitches on their clothing, were nearly exact. If it weren’t for the empty look in their eyes and the subtle sheen of paint, they would almost look like clones. 

However, before they had time to fully react, they heard a noise.

“Guys! Guuuuuuuuys!” 

Instead of the deep, stoic voice they were expecting to hear, the voice was high and youthful. They relaxed, turning their attention to the source. 

Popping out of a pile of papers was Haruto, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. And, judging by his lack of injuries, he had a right to be.

“ _Haruto_!” Yutaka yelled. “You scared us half to death! Why didn’t you answer me the first time?”

Gleefully, he responded “‘Cause I was busy, mister! Just look at all this cool stuff! You guys should take a look around!”

Looking around, Saori stated “I mean, there are some things I want a better look at…”

“Miss Tsukada, please. We need to be firm and serious if-”

“Don’t be so uptight, mister!” Haruto interrupted. “We’ll be serious later! Right now, let’s have some fun!”

Before Yutaka could object, Haruto had already ran off to dig through another pile of papers. 

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Noriko softly said “It’s no use, Yutaka. Just give the kid what he wants for now.”

Defeated, he nodded. 

So, with very little to lose, the class began to look around. 

They split off into separate groups, all performing their tasks like well-oiled machines. A few of them surveyed the screens, searching for an exit they might have missed. Others rooted the desks and papers in order to find hints of what led to their predicament. Tsukiko, meanwhile, turned her attention to the replicas. 

Upon further inspection of one of them, Tsukiko found even more lifelike features up close. Not only were they wearing the exact same clothes as the student they mimicked, but even their hair was perfectly sewn into the heads, imitating even the most subtle of similarities.

However, one small observation sent a chill down her spine.

Every other model in that room could have easily been bought from some company. Misao’s skinny, busty figure? An easy find. Chie’s short, plump body type? A bit harder to track down, but definitely out there. 

But Nakami?

Throughout every town she traveled to, she had never,  _ever_ , seen a mannequin with his body shape. And she had visited a _lot_ of towns. His round, cartoony head and well-toned body was unique to him alone. Replicating that would mean destroying and reattaching parts of the mannequin, like Frankenstein’s monster. 

But Nakami’s model was free of blemish. No scars showing reattachment, no signs of anything resembling joint compound, nothing. 

It was as if the model was created from the ground up. 

But why would that be? The statues weren’t being displayed in a public setting. They were in a hidden room, stored away in an area nobody was likely to find.

Of course, maybe she was overreacting. Maybe there were signs of a mannequin operation on the back. So, extending a hand, she reached out and spun him around. 

Only to find a bright yellow sticky note on his back, which read the following words:

> **_NAKAMI ITO_ **
> 
> **_-Speaks formally to others_ **
> 
> **_-A bit awkward_ **
> 
> **_-Enjoys helping out_ **
> 
> **_REMINDER: RE-EXAMINE HIS PAST_ **

The last line hit her like a sack of bricks. 

She pulled the note off, re-reading it. When she was done, she looked over to her class for their opinion.

And she saw them reading the papers from the ground, horrified. 

Hoping they either found the same question as her or stumbled upon the answer, she grabbed the first few pages and silently read.

What she got was much different than anticipated. 

> **_KOTO MIKAMI - BUSINESS PARTNERS (PART 1)_ **
> 
> **_-Engi High School_ **
> 
> **_-Konosawa Radio_ **
> 
> **_-Totoro Animation (may need revision)_ **
> 
> **_-Ingai Animation_ **

 

> **_ASAMI OSHIRO - GENERAL INFORMATION_ **
> 
>   
>  **_Name: Asami Oshiro_ **   
>    
>  **_Gender: Female_ **   
>    
>  **_Height: 5'6''_ **   
>  **_  
> _ _Weight: 125 lbs._**
> 
> **_Birth Date: February 4_ **   
>    
>  **_Chest Size: 37 in_ **   
>  **_  
> _ _Blood Type: O_ **
> 
> **_Likes: Orchards_ **
> 
> **_Dislikes: Fashion Models_**

 

> _**NORIKO MIYARA - CREDIBLE CLIENTS (PART 3)** _
> 
> _**-Fui Rimando** _
> 
> _**-Akio Eguchi** _
> 
> _**-Kiki Asuno** _
> 
> _**-Emi Lucca** _

 

“...What is this?”

“I-Is this a joke of something?” Ichika followed up with. 

Looking like she was struggling not to tear her paper up, Noriko stated “If it is, then it’s a sick fucking one.”

“You don’t suppose someone been… stalking us?” Yuuna shakily replied, grabbing tightly to her paper.

“Normally, I’d be flattered by such a notion." Asami remarked. Gesturing to the floor, she continued "But on a scale like _this_ ?” 

Still intently reading her paper, Saori spoke aloud “That can’t be it. This has the fingerprints of something sinister. Has anyone have an idea who set this up?”

Benjiro looked down at his handful of notes. For someone so intent on exposing everyone’s secrets, even _he_ looked flustered. 

“I haven’t found anything. All of it is just… information. About all of us.”

“Er, I may have found something.”

Attention turned to Nakami, who held a VHS tape in his hand.

“I, uh, found this in one of the desks. It’s the only one I managed to find, though.”

“Impressive work, officer.” Saori remarked.

“I-I wouldn’t say that, exactly. The tape’s unlisted. Who knows what’s on here?” 

“Then,” she continued, “I guess we’ll just have to find out what’s on it the hard way. Have any of you found a VHS player?”

Nervously, Hibiki pointed to the giant TV screen near the back of the room. 

“O-Over there. J-Just… be careful, okay?”

“I will. Thank you.”

Nakami brushed past the seemingly-endless pile of papers, making his way over to the TV. However, when his elbow brushed it by accident, it began to wobble slightly. 

The class stepped back, with the exception of Saori, Yutaka and Misao, who rushed towards it to hold it study for the former officer. With visible relief, he approached again, found the player and pushed the tape inside.

As he pressed the play button, all the students could do was wait.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been what, a year or so since I posted the prologue? Whelp, I decided to come back to the story. I can't promise the work will update periodically, but hopefully you guys enjoy it anyways!


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